SECOND TERM PROSPECTUS 2021-2026 OUR CITY CENTRE VISION A vibrant city centre with a modern business, cultural, retail and leisure offer. A city centre that attracts and retains a diverse range of skilled people. Creating a destination of choice – as strong and inviting in the evening as it is in the daytime. A safe, well-connected city centre that people of all ages, abilities and cultures can enjoy. Contents New beginnings 6 An outside perspective 12 The BID in profile 14 Our first term 20 What next 30 Accountability 42 WORKING TOGETHER 3 “John Lewis has a long history of supporting the community in which we trade. Sheffield BID has helped to bring retailers together and attract visitors to the city from near and far. Together we are tackling all manner of environmental challenges with operational support from the BID. I believe the renewal of the BID is essential to the future wellbeing of the city centre, allowing the private sector to continue to play its part in ensuring the best possible environment in which to do business.” Patrick Duffy, Head of Branch, John Lewis & Partners 4 “Sheffield BID has supported my business during a difficult time where the stop/start nature of COVID-19 restrictions have been challenging and costly. The BID Clean Team has provided both a reactive and proactive level of service to clean waste that has been left by homeless and, through the BID Management Team, there has been a coordinated response to ASB which has helped deter unwanted activity in and around my business. BID security patrols have been directed to key hotspots which has included the area of High Street and acted as a deterrent in reducing ASB and crime. I look forward to Sheffield BID’s continued support in working with key partners, retailers and stakeholders to deter ASB and revitalise retail as we emerge from COVID-19.” Steve Boult, Director, Trade2Us WORKING TOGETHER 5 NEW BEGINNINGS A Business Improvement District for Sheffield city centre Section 1 NEW BEGINNINGS 6 A Business Improvement District is a business-led partnership commonly referred to as a BID. A BID is defined by a specific geographical area where businesses work together by investing in agreed services and projects that improve their trading environment, and which are additional to the statutory provision of public services. In 2015, Sheffield’s city centre BID was created through a ballot process for a five-year term, creating over £4.2m of investment to realise the ambition. There are 328 BIDs operating across the UK. The most successful cities and towns have a BID, including all major city centres. Some of these BIDs are now entering third and fourth terms. With our first term due to end on 31 July 2020, we launched our original renewal proposal earlier this year (March 2020) at a time when we could not have foreseen the fast-changing nature of the COVID-19 outbreak. Given the unprecedented circumstances in which we all found ourselves, the BID renewal ballot was halted. Section 79 of the emergency Coronavirus Bill extended any current BID mandate due to end between 25 March and 31 December to 31 March 2021. As a result, Sheffield BID’s mandate was automatically extended. We are now asking businesses to endorse a second term to build on the work of the past five years. Please express your views and vote YES to maintain the momentum – let us take a step forward, not a step back. WORKING TOGETHER 7 Foreword Since our inception in October 2015, Sheffield has come a long way. The city centre has changed enormously; our physical landscape is being refreshed bringing fresh opportunities to experience the city whether as a shopper, worker or visitor. The Heart of the City II is advancing, there is momentum around Fargate and Castlegate. There are plans for an exciting long- term regeneration around the Sheffield Midland Train Station. These collectively are a strong stimulus of transformation for all to enjoy. At the street level, The Moor has lockdown, the longer-term impact driven growth in footfall and re- on health will be softened but the centred the gravity of the high financial cost on our businesses street. New bars, shops and and employees will mount and restaurants throughout the city will not be soothed quickly. This centre have animated our street is an acute time for our city centre scene alongside the drumbeat community. of award-winning theatre productions, museum exhibitions We continue to stay in close touch and conferences that have brought with our members, staying focused greater numbers to our city. on their priorities, providing value for the levy that they pay. Of course, there have been The priorities we hear continue challenges. COVID-19 has cast a to be around footfall, safety and dark cloud over Sheffield which cleanliness and our track record has at this time been longstanding has aligned to address each of and damaging, and is stubbornly these factors. not showing signs of disappearing anytime soon. The effects on our city is still only beginning to be revealed though the negative impacts are real and being felt across the city centre. The virus that travels through face to face contact has a disproportionate impact on the retail, leisure and hospitality services that are the beacon of our city centre. With Section 1 NEW BEGINNINGS 8 A Business Improvement District is here to support the city through these challenging times, Our street teams help to create stronger, more a visible and reassuring on the resilient and as a ground presence. This presence is exemplified by our Welcome community. Team who are instrumental in representing the BID on the streets, helping to navigate visitors and being a close at hand point of call for businesses. At all points, this has been a critical feature for our city centre community that has been hugely valuable during the COVID-19 pandemic as businesses have sought advice and clarity on business support and policy matters. We all cherish a vibrant city centre, alive with people from across the City Region. We have brought new festivals and experiences to our city I am proud of what we have achieved. Over the centre alongside supporting the coming years, I know we will do more to build organisers of existing successful events. Members tell us that the on our successes of the previous five years to events calendar is full, diverse and bring greater value to the city centre and our rich; the challenge is to maintain, levy payers. Our bedrock is in place. We will enhance the quality and build on the existing activities. continue to focus on the foundational qualities of Like any city or town, Sheffield is safety and clean streets, and to drive an exciting changing. Despite some concern in activity programme that brings people from all various quarters about the impact parts of our city back to the centre as we emerge of COVID-19 on cities, we will come through this and will continue from COVID-19. Ultimately our goal is to drive to be a dominant economic improvements in Sheffield city centre. entity in the region attracting investment, visitors and driving new ideas, cultural endeavours and Thank you for your ongoing support. We have experiences. achieved so much together. We are seeking your approval to build on this over the next five years. Diane Jarvis, Sheffield BID Manager WORKING TOGETHER 9 Sheffield BID has been a major contributor to The creating a vibrant city centre for the last five years. unexpected When COVID-19 struck, like many businesses we had to adapt quickly to remain fully operational happened using finite resources to provide continuity and assurance to businesses. 800 780 hours spent maintaining a hours spent patrolling, safe, clean environment checking premises and during lockdown. deterring opportunistic crime. 390 1 hours supporting local dedicated consumer channel businesses, dealing with daily aggregating content around enquiries, sharing details of essential retail, revised opening COVID grants and lobbying hours, delivery, click and collect government for further and additional services: assistance. www.sheffieldcitycentre.com Section 1 NEW BEGINNINGS 10 40+ £400k hours dedicated to supporting free marketing-spend for the reopening plan, working BID levy payers, secured with the local authority and from Sheffield-based My Geo South Yorkshire Police. rewards app to encourage people back to the city. £200k #SupportLocal free large-screen digital and festive marketing advertising offered to initiatives in collaboration with independent businesses. high street and independent businesses to promote city centre safety, encouraging people to shop locally. WORKING TOGETHER 11 AN OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE “Sheffield is an engine of economic growth for South Yorkshire and the city centre is a melting pot where people come together to enjoy the fantastic Sheffield Theatres, independent eateries and retailers in the Devonshire Quarter, and welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year to world-famous festivals and events such as Doc/Fest and the World Snooker Championships. Sheffield BID plays a major role in supporting businesses and maximising the city centre’s potential. As our economy begins to recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the BID will be vital in revitalising Sheffield city centre and bringing visitors back to our high street. The BID’s profile-raising initiatives and on-the- ground support teams are more important than ever to BID businesses, Sheffield city centre, and the City Region.” Dan Jarvis MBE Mayor of the Sheffield City Region Section 2 AN OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE 12 “Most major city centres in the UK now have a BID and the services they offer are becoming more important than ever.